Big Bad John (song)

Big Bad John is a popular song by Jimmy Dean (an American country singer who would also be known for his brand of sausage products).

The song talks of a quiet yet imposing (6'6" and 245 lbs) miner who said nothing of his past (it was rumored that he had to leave New Orleans after killing a man with one punch in a fight over a "Cajun queen").

One day, a support timber cracks. Without thinking, John stands under it, keeping it from collapsing while 20 other miners make their way to safety, after which the mine collapses, presumably killing him. The mine is never reopened, a marble monument is placed at the entrance, saying "at the bottom of this line lies a big, big man - Big John".

Several sequels were written, including two seemingly contradicting ones by Dean himself: "The Cajun Queen" (where the lady mentioned in the song rescues John, and they go on to have a large family with "110 grandchildren" in all) and "Little Bitty Big John" (where John's son hears of his father's heroics; in this version John has died).